Reply
by Deadpool-kun
Summary: Mildly AU. Kagami wants nothing but a simple reply from Aomine.


A prompt from Barton-kun; 'routine'.

**Note(s): **One-shot, grammartical errors, simple language.

* * *

Honestly, he didn't remember when one-on-one match with Aomine Daiki had become part of his weekend routine.

It was hazy, but Kagami guessed it had started right before his match against Kaijou last Winter Cup, when he'd broken his shoes and Aomine had thrown him a challenge for his Air Jordan—he'd lost, but Aomine had still given him his shoes anyway.

Since then, they'd occasionally meet up at weekends and play one-on-one until they couldn't lift their fingers anymore.

It was like a circle; repeated but Kagami had never gotten tired of it.

Deep down, Kagami really liked playing with Aomine, though he'd never admit it.

To him, it was the only moment he could see Aomine without his conceited mask. That was the only moment when Kagami could witness his earnest expression resurfacing with a broad grin on his tanned face.

Kagami felt privileged to see the rare side of Aomine.

Or most probably, basketball was the only language Aomine knew to express himself.

Either way, Kagami had no complaint, as long as he could play with Aomine.

Meet, play, and eat while cursing at each other. Meet, play, and eat while cursing at each other. Meet, play, and eat while cursing at each other. It'd been like that. Kept repeating. Over and over again.

Part of Kagami's routine. Part of Aomine's routine.

Until one fine day, Aomine broke the routine.

He didn't show up, even after they'd set up everything, time and place. Kagami checked his phone; no e-mail from Aomine, no missed call either. He waited for him though, shooting hoops to kill his time and boredom, thinking Aomine perhaps was running late.

Kagami sent Aomine an e-mail.

He didn't reply.

Hundredth points later, as crows cawed loudly in the distance and the sky turned rosy, bathing Kagami's face with its reddish color, still no sign of Aomine.

In the end, Kagami went back home, continuing his weekend routine, but this time without Aomine in it.

* * *

Frankly, Kagami didn't like hospitals.

Reeks of antiseptics, bleak white walls, ominous rooms, long dark corridors, tasteless meals, cold atmosphere, deafening silence; things Kagami disliked—more likely afraid of.

That's why Kagami rarely stepped into its vicinity.

However, one day, Kagami had to break his oath when one of his classmates had suddenly fallen ill and the whole class members had decided to pay him a visit. He'd cringed at the suggestion and reluctantly acquiesced.

While his classmates thronged into the small room, Kagami took few steps backward in surrender and left the room as soon as he'd wished his friend 'get well soon'. Not that he could cram into the room with his large built either.

Rounding corner to a deserted corridor, Kagami found his eyes magnetized to a very familiar—_too_ familiar, in fact—figure leaning its side against the wall, the back to him. He zeroed in on him as his target made a little shift, stuffing his hands into jumper pockets.

Kagami reckoned there was only one person in this world had a very smooth spine movement, whose he'd seen it both on and off courts, and that person is Aomine Daiki.

And so, he padded to his marked target, giving him a small tap on his shoulder to fish his attention. His target turned to him, and Kagami was right; it _was_ Aomine Daiki.

"Fancy meeting you here," said Kagami peevishly.

Aomine's face registered the surprise, but it quickly melted into his arrogant mask again. "Of all people, why do I have to meet you, Bakagami?" he mocked. "And what's up with that tone? What crawled up your ass and died?"

"You!" accused Kagami. "Where the fuck have you been?! I waited for you at the court every weekend, but you never showed up. No calls, no e-mails, no messages, nothing!"

In a brief moment, Kagami thought he caught guilty crossing Aomine's face, but it was quickly shattered by Aomine's sardonic reply. "You waited for me? I'm so touched, Bakagami. If only I knew you were really looking forward to our dates, I wouldn't ditch them."

Kagami's face turned cotton-candy at Aomine's remark. "Da… dates? No! They weren't—"

"—what dates, Kagami-kun?" a soft voice came up behind Aomine.

Kagami was surprised, and craned his neck, looking over Aomine's shoulder, only to find pool of soothing blue blinking up at him.

"THE HELL, KUROKO?!" shocked, Kagami backed away almost immediately with his hands up in defense. "Since when you've been there?!"

"Kagami-kun, hospital," hushed Kuroko. "Been awhile. As a matter of fact, I was talking to Aomine-kun before you butted in. Now, back to my question, I didn't know you both are dating."

"No! We aren't dating," he answered exasperatedly while sending Aomine a sidelong glance. Aomine was smirking up at him, and he felt his head throb in anger at the expression.

"Well, Aomine-kun seems into it, and you whined like a girlfriend always does," snubbed Kuroko bluntly, which Aomine replied with rapturous laughter, leaning forward as he held his stomach.

"Dead on!" he cheered.

"Shut up, Ahomine," said Kagami curtly.

Aomine laughed louder.

"Kagami-kun is blushing."

"Seriously, Kuroko, stop!"

"Ok, I'll stop," said Kuroko blankly, holding up his hands in surrender. "Cannot tease an angry girl, especially in her beep day."

Aomine was at a paroxysm of laughter, crouching down to the floor, rocking back and forth. Kagami glared nose down at the laughing boy, but Aomine didn't waver at all. It took Aomine a couple of minutes—which Kagami regarded as eternity—for his laughter to die away and sprung to his feet, returning his glare equally.

"Done laughing? You haven't answered my question," said Kagami.

"Geez, you really whined like a girl," Aomine heaved a sigh, head turning away as he rubbed the nape of his neck.

"Cut it out!" barked Kagami. "Just answer the goddamn question!"

"Aomine-kun," Kuroko cut in softly. "I could care less what kind of relationship you both share, but Kagami-kun deserves to know it as well."

"Know what?" asked Kagami. He threw them a quizzical look, complete with an arched brow.

Kuroko didn't answer, but anxiety began to crawl up under Kagami's skin when he saw the look on Aomine's face.

Aomine looked rather… sad.

And it stabbed dagger right into his heart, stopping the rhyme of his heartbeat as well.

Had he ever felt so this hurt before? Kagami couldn't remember.

When he felt a small pat on his back and a wisp of light blue hair faded past at the corner of his eyes, Kagami's heart leapt back to life. Then only Kagami realized Kuroko had left, rendering him and Aomine alone.

And he was suddenly aware of his quickening pulse when the tanned hand enveloped his firmly, tingling warmth spreading all over his body.

"We need to talk," said Aomine with a stern look before he pivoted on his heels and led their way.

…

Distracted by Aomine's warm hand, Kagami didn't realize they'd reached their destination until cold breeze slapped him in his face. Wrenching his hand out of Aomine's grip, he took his time to scan the surroundings as an excuse to hide his blush.

They were at the rooftop.

Kagami walked up to the fence, and peered down. The block was at least 20-storeys height, almost giving him vertigo as he watched tiny humans and cars move around the building.

"They're supposed to lock the door," Kagami jerked his head to the door. "It's dangerous up here."

"They did, but I got through," Aomine went to his side and sunk his back into the fence. "It was indeed a very boring wrangle."

Kagami's brows furrowed as he stared at Aomine. _Wrangle_. If that was the case, then it only meant one thing. "How often you come here?"

"Lost counts since two years ago."

It was a simple, nonchalant answer, but sufficed to break Kagami's heart. "What happened?"

"Diagnosed with leukemia when I was young."

"Your parents? Did Momoi know? How about your rainbow friends? Touou?"

"Mom and Dad were shocked when they found out, cried even. Of course, Satsuki knew it; she takes care of my pills and stuff. The Kiseki—don't call us rainbow!—especially Tetsu, Kise, and Midorima are still nagging me about treatments. Touou was informed even before I entered the school and always takes precaution if anything ever happens."

_And you never considered to tell me about this at all_, however it remained stuck in the back of his throat. "You seemed fine during the Inter-High and Winter Cup though."

"In remission, until recently."

_Until I started to break our weekend routine_, it went unsaid, but Kagami knew better.

A cold breeze whipped up their hair as they both were staring ahead; Kagami at the dull, grayish city while Aomine at the steel door of no particular value but great interest in the presented companionable silence that befell them.

"Promise me you'll get better," Kagami suddenly spoke without tearing his gaze away.

Aomine looked at him in bewilderment. "Again?"

"I'll stay by your side," Kagami turned to him, his face set in determination. "But you have to promise me you'll get better."

He had no idea what had made him say that, but picturing Aomine staying alone in the ward, staring out of the window at the monotonous view of the city while battling the disease shattered his heart.

He wanted to do something for Aomine, even if it was a meaningless verdict.

"Why?" was Aomine's only reply.

That was the problem. He couldn't reason it out. Kagami racked his brain over to find a good explanation without sounding too sappy or complicated, but he couldn't structure a fine sentence.

Instead, another plain reason came out. "I don't think I could ever find another bastard like you to crush in one-on-one."

Aomine stared at him for a moment, probably the longest moment in Kagami's life, before bursting into laughter.

"Selfish bastard. And you never won over me anyway."

The snarky comment spilling out of Aomine's mouth poured relief all over his heart, lightening the gloomy atmosphere after the heavy conversation they'd had.

Kagami liked this Aomine better.

Far, far, far better.

"Yeah, I'm now a selfish bastard thanks to you."

* * *

Kagami wondered how it felt to be the center of lavish attention of a stranger in white coat with mask on his face while bombarded with questions.

Peering into the ward through the foggy glass on the door, he couldn't help but think of Aomine's feelings as he went through the seemingly scary ordeal with a straight face.

He figured Aomine had gotten used to it; either during medical check-ups or interviews. Just different questions and topics, though.

Kagami squinted at them, and he really didn't like the ugly creases on the doctor's forehead that kept appearing as he mouthed something to Aomine, elbows resting on his knees as he leaned forward, as if telling Aomine confidential information.

And he certainly didn't like the look Aomine was wearing, shoulders drooping low and cerulean eyes gazing mindlessly at his clasped hands.

When the doctor finally excused himself, giving Kagami a small bow when he walked past him, Kagami burst into the ward in a heartbeat, startling Aomine with rather a rude greeting.

"Surprise, motherfucker."

Aomine ignored his rude greeting, face lighting up, which it didn't miss from Kagami's eyes. "You look beat up."

"Blame my coach. Another hellish training. And I don't blame Kuroko for collapsing in the middle of training," he took a seat next to the bed. "You look ridiculous in that hospital gown. Very unlikely you."

"I'm taking it you admire my sense of fashion, then."

"Why am I surprised by your supreme arrogance?" Kagami reclined on the plush chair.

"This is me. Suck it up."

"I don't think I'm doing it well."

Aomine chuckled lightly, and Kagami decided he liked it.

* * *

The next visit, Kagami came with a pair of carpet slippers and a broad fake innocent grin on his face. Aomine shot him a firm disapproval look, face twisting in disgust as he shoved them back into Kagami's hands.

"C'mon, Aomine," he wheedled. "It cost me fortune!"

"How come a pair of panther plush toy slippers could cost you fortune?"

His lips pursed. "Okay, it cost me cheeseburgers."

"That's _disheartening_," deadpanned Aomine, reminding Kagami of Kuroko. The friendship they'd shared over matches in Teikou days had eventually rubbed off Kuroko's personality on him. "I won't wear them, it's stupid."

"Well then. Since you don't want them, I'll just keep them," said Kagami sadly, bringing the slippers close to his chest as his mind went to self-deprecating round. "No way I could throw them away after I've browsed through many shops all day long to find them," whispered Kagami slowly, but loud and clear enough for Aomine to hear.

Aomine let out a long sigh. A very long sigh.

In the end, Aomine wore them despite himself. And Aomine was right; he looked stupid and funny wearing them. Such cute slippers and strong masculinity didn't blend very well. It looked more and more absurd with a pouting look on the sculptured face.

Kagami grinned genuinely at him, inside screaming with joy.

* * *

"Here's your bento," Kagami placed the wrapped blue bento on the table, brows narrowing in disapproval.

"Thanks," murmured Aomine as he eagerly unwrapped the cloth. "Oh, looks great," sparkles of excitement returned swimming in his navy eyes, lips lifting up in a broad grin.

"Please behave yourself, Aomine-kun," said Kuroko into the straw of his vanilla shake drink. "And cute slippers," his eyes slipped down to the panther plush toy slippers, pointing it out rather loudly.

Aomine glared but didn't say anything, resuming stuffing more and more foods into his mouth.

Upon Aomine's childish request, Kagami had begrudgingly made him a homemade bento. Kuroko had joined him to visit his former light on the way to the hospital, not forgetting making Kagami jump out of his skin with his sudden appearance.

Watching Aomine gobble his food somewhat brought a soft smile to Kagami's face. Pleasant feelings suffused his heart, happiness brimming over his constricted chest, and Kagami gazed down softly at the tanned male.

"Tastes great?" came a question from Kuroko, effectively nudging Kagami out of his absent gaze.

Aomine paused, chopsticks in midway to his mouth, and nodded quickly.

"Kagami-kun is happy to see you enjoy your bento," remarked Kuroko nonchalantly, purposely making Kagami blush.

Aomine raised a high brow over his midnight eyes to him.

Even a brighter shade of red blush splashed onto Kagami's face when he clashed with Aomine's unreadable gaze. Kagami seriously wanted to strangle Kuroko right away, then find a place to hole up. Anywhere was fine, as long as he was out of Aomine's sight.

Aomine pulled a tiny smirk. "Then make me more bento."

"Get well first, then I'll make tons for you."

He didn't reply.

* * *

The cold contact with water tap refreshed him. Water coursed down his crimson-black layered fringes, slightly trickling his eyes as it made way to his frame and neck. Kagami wiped his face with his wet bare hands, glancing up to the mirror, watching as his perfect reflected image mimicked his movement.

The truth was he felt very exhausted.

With intense trainings and matches that kept coming to his way, homework pilling up on his study desk waiting to be finished, tests, and frequent visits to hospital; they eventually took a heavy toll on his body.

He couldn't ignore that the hurt cries his body was screaming.

However, he never complained, nor did he take a rest.

Not after he'd promised Aomine to stay by his side, cheering for him.

Kagami continued visiting Aomine with a forced sardonic smile on his face.

_Ironic._

He'd once disliked hospitals so much, and now he spent more time loitering around the hospital than his very own apartment. Visiting hospital had become so frequent that it'd become part of his daily routine. Nurses became his friends, and somewhat he enjoyed exchanging banters with them, in spite the medical terms they used.

His old self would've laughed at him right now.

He gave out a weary sigh. Kagami looked at the mirror, and noticed how miserable he looked. Putting on a grin to ease his heart, Kagami walked out of the restroom and went up to the rooftop.

Flinging the door open, he found Aomine gazing morosely at the landscape of lifeless, jagged skyscrapers, long slim fingers hooking the fence, his back to him, few strands of navy hair swaying lightly in the cold breeze.

Kagami's heart clenched at the sight presented before him.

Aomine seemed so distant.

Absently, his legs took a few short strides towards Aomine, and his hand reached out, grabbing hold of the back of his hospital gown, clutching it dearly as though Aomine would disappear from his sight.

A deafening silence lingered in the cold air.

"You're exhausted," noted Aomine softly.

_Oh great_. Aomine could see through him without looking at him. Kagami closed the distance between them, burying his head in the crook of Aomine's shoulder blade. His lashes fluttered close as Aomine's fingers threaded through his hair, savoring his touch, his warmth. He unlatched his fingers from his clothes, and roamed around cautiously to Aomine's front gown.

His heart was hammering furiously against his ribcage, daunted by the rejection from Aomine.

When he felt a warm hand clasp his, Kagami's breath evened out and his shoulders relaxed, gathering his wit to embrace him, leaning deeper into Aomine's warmth.

However, the moment Kagami wrapped his arms around Aomine, he was alarmed of how skinny Aomine had become. He still had his bulky muscles, but much skinnier, much smaller.

And it pierced his heart greatly.

Kagami opened his mouth. Words came albeit muffled. "You've lost weight."

"Workouts," said Aomine simply.

His chest hurt. Kagami tightened his embrace. He knew how pathetic and desperate he sounded right now, shaking voice and trembling body, but he couldn't help begging. "Promise me to get better, Aomine."

He didn't reply.

…

He lied, and Kagami knew it.

* * *

Bumping into Aomine's childhood friend, Momoi on the way to Aomine's ward wasn't odd at all. Kagami acknowledged how clinging Momoi to Aomine was, being his guardian, or in Kagami's view, his nanny to ensure Aomine stayed out of troubles.

And she did a great job at it.

However, it _was_ odd when it came to bumping into _his parents_.

Aomine's mother was a fine middle-aged woman with navy hair veiling down her shoulders and small built. Completely different from Aomine himself, but when she looked up at him, Kagami knew immediately where Aomine had gotten his cerulean eyes.

Meanwhile, Aomine's father had indeed given his looks to his son, but his locks were a rich deep brown instead of Aomine's navy blue. Tall, muscular, and a very familiar confident air about him.

The similar figure transposed on a teen. Kagami smiled.

"This is Kagami Taiga," Momoi quickly introduced him to Aomine's parents. "He's been accompanying Dai-chan all this time."

"Kagami," said Aomine's father, outstretching a hand. "It's good to meet the boy who keeps my son happy."

Kagami was in a dither about returning the handshake, looking nervously at the outstretched hand, then to his eyes, back to his hand again. After glancing furtively in Momoi's direction—she winked at him, giving him a thumbs-up—Kagami returned the handshake courteously.

And he was surprised how firm it was.

"Nice to meet you… too," he managed to stutter.

Aomine's mother gazed down softly at him, a tiny but genuine smile stretching her thin lips. "Thank you so much, Kagami-kun, for being his friend. Daiki seems glowing recently. He's making good progress lately."

Her words struck Kagami hard, but he kept a steady face.

Kagami remembered how thin Aomine felt inside his embrace, and his rational beckoned him to tell them the grim truth, because for God's sake, they _were_ his parents. They had a right to know their son was slowly succumbing to his illness.

However, his heart clamped his mouth shut.

"Yes, he's doing fine," a smooth lie came out instead, complete with a fake radiant smile.

It hurt him to lie at Aomine's parents. It hurt him to wear a fake smile. And it hurt him more to see them share a little laugh, telling him how looking forward they were to see Aomine back on the court again.

For the first time in Kagami's life, he despised himself.

* * *

The day sloshed with heavy rain, dull grayish clouds hovering over the city, raindrops pelting loudly against the windows, ringing in Kagami's ears as he watched Aomine sleep peacefully.

Aomine seemed so peaceful and different in his sleep. His face softened and the usual aura whirling about him seemed to be robbed off of him. Kagami's eyes, then, trailed to Aomine's body. His chest was heaving up and down in a steady tempo, and his right hand was resting on top of his abdomen.

Kagami brought his fingers running through Aomine's navy hair. It felt so soft against his calloused fingertips, to his surprise. His fingers threaded through the strand of hair as a heavy feeling settled on his heart. Traveling down to his frame, Kagami traced his sculptured face, burning them into his mind.

A sense of foreboding came sweeping back, and Kagami quickly shoved it away.

He held Aomine's right hand, not wanting him to leave.

There was a voice in the back of his mind screaming, wailing, thrashing around at the thought of a life without Aomine in it.

He'd been used to having Aomine by his side, arguing with him, talking with him, laughing with him.

Kagami could care less the weird responds his body gave every time he was close to Aomine; the tingling feelings whenever he saw Aomine's sincere smile, the quickening heartbeat whenever Aomine touched him, or the rising of his body temperature whenever he felt Aomine's breathe fan against his cheeks.

Because it made sense after all—he'd fallen in love with Aomine.

His grip on Aomine's hand grew stronger.

"Please, promise me to get better, Aomine."

Of course, he didn't reply.

* * *

Kise's failed jokes effectively brightened the gloomy atmosphere of the ward. Aomine countered it back with a catty comment, and it brought a round of laughter rippling through the small room that a nurse came to hush them.

Kise, who happened to have a modeling job in the town, had decided to pay Aomine a visit, dragging his grumpy boyfriend, Kasamatsu along. And he was quick to e-mail Momoi, announcing his trip to Tokyo.

And so, Momoi had appeared in the doorway with a lopsided grin on her face while her hands snaked around Kuroko's arm, and Kuroko didn't even voice out his protest in spite the little twitch on his brows.

It amused Kagami to see Kise's argument was bounced back to him as Aomine nonchalantly brushed them off, and Kasamatsu teamed up with Aomine against Kise.

"Kasamatsu-senpai meanie~!" whined Kise dramatically. "You're my boyfriend. You're supposed to back me up!" he declared shamelessly.

"Not when your argument is too childish to be backed up," Kasamatsu shot back.

"Your boyfriend is right," noted Aomine with a smirk, childish-like glee bubbling in his tone. "Learn from him, Kise."

"Momoicchi, help me~!" he sought help from Momoi, flailing his arms frantically.

"Sorry, Ki-chan, but Aomine-kun got his point," she stuck her tongue out sheepishly.

"Kurokocchi?"

"I fail to grasp of the importance of this useless argument," said Kuroko in his usual blank demeanor.

The blonde turned to Kagami with a hopeful grimace, which startled him a little. Kagami knitted his brows together, averting his eyes away from Kise's sparkling irises.

"I'm out," stated Kagami sternly.

And Kise lamented loudly, falling to his knees in a dramatic motion as Aomine roared with laughter.

Despite Kise's exasperated screech assaulting his eardrums, Kagami could feel the camaraderie lingering warmly in the air and his heart felt lighter when Aomine's merry laughter reached his ears.

"He looks better," remarked Kuroko suddenly, his powder blue eyes fixing on Aomine.

Kagami followed the line of his shadow's sight, and ended up looking up just the right time to catch a soft smile spreading across Aomine's face before molding into his signature smirk and turning to Kise again.

His heart swelled in happiness and hope flared back to life. Perhaps Aomine's parents were right. Aomine was making a good progress.

"Much better."

* * *

Weekend came, and Kagami agreed to stay with Aomine for the whole night so Aomine's parents could go home and get some rest.

The night rolled on as the activity around the hospital gradually slowed down to almost a halt. Occasionally, nurses sauntered past Aomine's ward, stirring up the silence with their purposely efficiency, giving Kagami a short, customary greeting.

When Kagami's watch ticked past 4 AM, while he was deep in slumber, a contact on his hand jolted him out of his sleep. Disoriented, he began to register the pain coursing through his body. Never fell asleep on a small chair, he mentally noted.

Kagami rubbed his drowsy eyes and saw Aomine smile at him through the dimmed light. "What's wrong, Aomine?"

"Let's go to the rooftop."

His split eyebrows furrowed in confusion at Aomine's suggestion.

"Aomine, it's 4 AM right now, and it's freezing up there."

"_Please._"

_God_. Never crossed his mind, Aomine's deep voice could encroach him so this greatly. No, _affect_ sounded better. It made him so weak and his heart melt. Before he could stop himself, he'd already given Aomine a small nod of agreement. And Kagami mentally cursed himself for it.

However, seeing Aomine's lips curl up into a smile swept his grouchiness away, replacing it with an army of butterflies in his stomach, blush slowly creeping up his neck.

Kagami admitted it was a kind of beautiful feeling.

Until Aomine stumbled down the bed, shattering them all. Fortunately, Kagami was gifted with a quick respond as an athlete and caught him right before Aomine landed on the hard floor.

Kagami pulled Aomine into his arms, heart racing crazily, breathing raggedly.

It didn't feel right. It didn't feel right at all.

"Sorry, my legs fall asleep," Aomine barked a laugh. "Come. To the rooftop."

He felt a cold invisible hand brush ghostly against his neck.

"Can we just stay here, Aomine?" he begged tentatively, his chord vocal stiff as he spoke.

"Rooftop. _Please_, Kagami."

Hearing Aomine's desperate plea made his heart ache. Kagami felt tears prickle his eyelids, but he contained them. With a deep huff, he helped Aomine with his panther slippers and stagger out of the ward despite inside screamed in protest.

His feet were leaden as they climbed the stairs, one slow step at a time. Time seemed to fly so fast, and Kagami wished the stairs were much longer, prolonging their journey to the rooftop.

Something whispered into his ears, telling him to cherish Aomine as much as he could. But he stopped listening to them, because it crushed his heart to even think about it.

Wrenching the door open, Kagami felt cold breeze cut through his disheveled hair and fear begin to flood through his system. Supporting Aomine's body, he moved forward and settled Aomine down on the floor, and joined Aomine, slight cold from the surface pricked at his thighs.

Kagami drank in the view before his eyes. The skyscrapers looked magnificent as colorful lights glittered against the blackish buildings, dull streetlights along the path, mapping out the city.

He liked it.

"Beautiful, huh?"

Kagami's attention was yanked away from the city by a question escaped Aomine's lips. He whipped his head to Aomine, looking at him questioningly.

"Wait till the sunrise," Aomine jerked his head to the city. "You'll like it, I promise you."

Kagami stared at Aomine for a moment. "Then, promise me you'll stay until the sunrise."

He didn't reply.

Kagami was both desperate and exasperated. He needed a reply, an answer, a promise, a sign of hope from Aomine himself, but he gave none of them. Was he cruel for asking Aomine to fight his illness? Was he being a selfish for asking Aomine to stay by his side?

"Aomine, please…"

"Thank you for everything, Kagami," he said softly, head lowering to Kagami's shoulder.

"Please, don't Aomine…" Kagami bit his bottom lip, trying to ignore a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach and a thick lump forming in his throat. He knew what was coming. He _had known _it since he'd seen Aomine stare morosely at the city.

The inevitable death.

"I've never felt so happy until I met you," continued Aomine, his chest vibrating as he spoke.

"No…" he sniffled loudly, starting to sob uncontrollably.

"You saved me, you brought my passion for basketball back to life," slowly, Aomine's head slipping down to Kagami's chest. His voice dropped lower and lower.

"… stop it…" the damp of his tears broke, and he felt something hot and wet stream down his face.

"You brought happiness into my life, and I love you for everything you've done to me."

When Aomine's head finally rested on his thigh, eyes fluttering close for good, Kagami begged for one last time, clutching Aomine's arm, shaking his body gently. "… don't leave me, Aomine… I need you… I love you…"

He didn't reply.

And the silvery pinks and yellows of the sunrise peeked through the skyscrapers, flushing Aomine's peaceful face with its warm light. Aomine was right. The view was indeed spectacular.

However, Kagami failed to see its beauty as his crimson eyes scalded by tears, screaming at the top of his voice, mourning for the death of his first and true love.

…

_He never replied._

* * *

**A/N: **And I killed Aomine. I didn't expect it to be this heavy, but yeah, with 'The Scientist' Coldplay playing repeatedly in my ears, I got carried away. Whoever cried reading this, please leave me a review so I can console you. :D Free of charge!


End file.
